17. How does the placement of the stamen in relationship to the pistil affect the way in which the flower is fertilized?

this placement increases the chances of pollination

Explanation:

Pollination refers to the process of transferring pollen grains from the male stamens of a flower to the female stigma. The stamens generally surround the pistil and they are composed of two structures: 1-the anther (produces male reproductive cells or pollen grains) and 2-filaments (supports the anthers). Moreover, the female pistil is generally located at the center of the flower and it is composed of three structures: stigma (a sticky bulb in the center of flower), ovary (contains female reproductive cells or ovules), style (supports the stigma). The arrangement of the plant's reproductive organs increases the chances of pollination: when a pollinator (e.g. bees) visits a stigma for nectar it has to go through the stamen and catch pollen that then carries to the stigma of the same flower (auto-pollination) or another flower (cross-pollination). Moreover, the flowers also have petals and sepals that help attract pollinators and protect the flower bud, respectively.